Washing machine



Oct. 26, 1954 w. e. LANDWIER WASHING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1952 [NVENT'U]? WILLIAM GLAHDWIBR BY 'ATTUR HEY F g j.

Patented Oct. 26, 1954 WASHING MACHINE William G. Landwier, Fayetteville, N. Y., assignor to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 16, 1952, Serial No. 282,617

2 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines, and more particularly to machines having vetical axis agitator or centrifugal extractor drives extending upwardly from beneath the hubs.

In agitator and centrifugal extractor drives of the general type indicated, it is becoming increasingly important with the advent of synthetic detergents, to provide certain protection for the bearings from detergent-laden water. Where oil-impregnated porous bearing sleeves are employed, the small amount of oil ordinarily heretofore considered suificient for lifetime operation may be quickly washed from the bearing by small amounts of synthetic detergent-laden water, thus causing premature bearing destruction.

The present invention is directed toward providing permanent protection for such bearings against the entry of any wash water either by splash, suds or vapor. The invention further has to do with the provision of a surrounding protecting shell cooperating with a seal, and a protecting slinger in an effective combination to doubly prevent wash fluid from reaching the bearing sleeve.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary axial vertical section taken through the driving shaft and sleeve bearing in a centrifugal extractor;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary axial section of a modified form of seal.

In the drawings, there is shown a bearing pedestal It usually extending upward from and formed as a substantially integral part of the drive transmission. Such a pedestal appears in Patent No. 2,627,175, issued February 3, 1953. Such pedestal comprises an upstanding sleeve it having an oil-impregnated porous bearing sleeve l4, in which is journaled a centrifugal extractor drive shaft 16. The sleeve joins the pedestal in a. shoulder I8, upon which is secured the bottom l9 of an extractor tub 20, the tub having an aperture 22 through which the sleeve 2 12 extends. The sleeve is provided with a threaded nut 24 adapted to clamp the tub bottom upon the shoulder 18 between annular washers or gaskets 26 and 28.

The shaft projects upwardly beyond the hearing sleeve l4 and is adapted to receive the hub 38 of an extractor basket or other washing element, such hub being integrally formed with the annular base 32 of the basket. The base has an annular rim flange 34 to which is secured a circular perforate shell 36 forming the basket proper. Intermediate the hub 30 and the base 32 is a bell-like intermediate portion 38 adapted to surround in spaced relation the upper end of the sleeve M. The basket hub 30 is driven by the shaft by a squared shaft end 40, and which fits within a square recess 42 within the upper closed end 4d of the hub.

It will be understood that in apparatus of the type referred to, laundry is placed within the basket, centrifuged, detergent-laden water being centrifugally discharged through the basket apertures 46. Such water is collected in the tub 2B and is allowed to drain from the bottom through a drain port 48. Where rinse water is introduced centrally of the basket, and cen trifugally expelled through the laundry to provide a centrifugal rinse, the quantity of water passing into the tub 20 is materially increased. In the absence of provision for protecting the sleeve bearing i l, some of the detergent-laden water may splash, or if in vapor form condense, upon the exposed shaft above the bearing, and the presence of suds in the centrifugally discharged water may rise to the height of the exposed shaft, particularly before the speed of the centrifuge is greatly accelerated.

In order to safeguard against any laundry water coming in contact with the bearing sleeve, there is provided a circular shell member 50, the lower end 52 of which is seated upon an annular seat '55 of the nut 24. The upper end of the shell is provided with an annular inwardly disposed flange 56 adapted to loosely surround the shaft so as not to contact the shaft. Between such flange, which forms a transverse bearing or sealing surface, and the hub, is disposed a corrugated tubular member or shroud 58 formed of resilient rubber or rubber-like synthetic material, for example neoprene, such member having a collar 89 at its upper end seated in an anular recess 62 in the hub 36. The lower end is provided with an annular cup-like recess 64, into which is fitted an annular fiber ring 65, which, if desired, may be oil-impregnated. A coil compression spring 68, surrounding the shaft l6, bears at its opposite ends upon the collar 60 and recess end 10, and lightly urges the fiber ring 66 into sealing and running engagement with the flange 56.

The shell flange may be of stainless steel, brass, or other material adapted to retain a polished smooth-running surface for engagement with such fiber ring. Beneath the fiange and above the bearing sleeve 14, there is mounted upon the shaft an annular water shed or umbrella member 12, such member being of rubber-like synthetic material such as neoprene, and adapted to resiliently hold its position upon the shaft through an annular inwardly extending lip 14 fitting in a shallow groove '16 in the shaft 16. When the shaft rotates, the member 12 acts as a slinger. The lower annular rim of the member 12 overreaches the bearing sleeve 12 so as to shed any possible water outside the sleeve in the annular region 78 between the shell and sleeve l2.

In order to drain any liquid escaping through the seal ring 66, the nut 24 is provided with a port 80 extending to an annular recess 62 in the under side of the nut. At the same time, the pedestal I is provided with a radial groove 84 extending to the sleeve 12, so as to interconnect with the port 80, it being understood that the tub bottom opening 22 is sufficiently large to provide adequate annular clearance.

Water dripping from the radial groove 84 will fall upon the transmission cover and drop to the floor. Such occurrence may serve as a warning of an inadequate or worn seal, thereby warranting prompt inspection. Since the centrifugal basket is readily lifted from the shaft, the corrugated member 58 is easily exposed for inspection and replacement.

In Figure 3, an alternative seal construction is shown in which the complete shaft protection afforded by the bellows member is dispensed with, in favor of a plain seal. While such an arrangement will not be effective in preventing liquid from getting on the exposed shaft and into the hub shaft bore, adequate protection to the sleeve bearing is afforded. In the form shown, the upper end of the shell is provided with an annular cup member 86 in which is positioned a resilient annular seal 88, having a lip 90 in resilient engagement with the shaft 16. Such seal may be retained in the cup by an annular retainer disk 92 held by an inturned flange 94. The cup member may be held in position in the shell member by a shrink fit, or any other means, preferably liquid-tight.

Although the invention has been described in its application to a combination wherein the drive shaft actuates a washing element in the form of a centrifugal extractor, the same protection can equally well be applied to an agitator drive shaft. In such case, the agitator would take the place of the extractor basket, and the slinger might preferably extend to a point below and around the bearing sleeve, since oscillatory movement of the drive shaft would not necessarily function to sling any leakage away from the bearing.

While a single embodiment of the invention, with a modification, has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a centrifugal extractor, an upstanding sleeve having an internal sleeve bearing, a drive shaft extending therethrough and projecting upwardly therebeyond, a centrifuge basket having a hub mounted on said shaft above the sleeve and spaced therefrom, a stationary shell supported at its lower end upon said sleeve and extending upwardly around said sleeve and spaced therefrom, and having an inturned circular flange at its upper end located between the upper end of said bearing sleeve and said mounting hub, a shaft seal between the upper inturned flange end of said shell and the hub on said shaft the upper end of said seal having a resilient collar in engagement with said shaft, and said seal rotating with the shaft with the lower end bearing on said flange, an annular slinger on said shaft positioned between said flange and said sleeve, and having an annular marginal edge located radially beyond said sleeve, and means for draining the area between said sleeve and shell.

2. In a centrifugal extractor, a tub having a central aperture in the base, an upstanding sleeve projecting through said aperture having a shoulder adapted to support the tub bottom and an internal sleeve bearing, a drive shaft extending through said sleeve and projecting upwardly therebeyond, a centrifuge basket within said tub having a hub mounted on said shaft above the upstanding sleeve and spaced therefrom, a stationary shell mounted at its lower end upon said sleeve and extending upwardly around said sleeve and spaced therefrom, the lower end of said shell having a collar threaded on said sleeve, and being adapted to clamp the tub bottom against said shoulder, and having an inturned circular flange at its upper end located between the upper end of said sleeve and said mounting hub, an axially expansible shroud around said shaft between said hub and said flange, secured for rotation with said shaft at its upper end, and having a bearing ring seal in engagement with said flange, and resilient means for axially expanding the shroud, an annular slinger on said shaft positioned between said flange and the upper end of said sleeve, and having an annular marginal edge located radially beyond said sleeve, and means in said collar for draining the area between said sleeve and shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,167,986 Lignian et al. Aug. 1, 1939 2,277,923 Morgenstern Mar. 31, 1942 2,406,226 Kimball Aug. 20, 1946 2,533,722 De Reiner Dec. 12, 1950 2,605,628 Smith Aug. 5, 1952 2,620,070 Dodge Dec. 2, 1952 2,627,175 Scheele Feb. 3, 1953 2,652,710 De Remer Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 449,648 Great Britain July 1, 1936 

